Automatic switch for pneumatic carriers.



Patented June 3, I902.

F. R. TAISEY.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR PNEUMATIC CARRIERS.

(Application filed Oct. 17, 1901.)

1 (No Model.)

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ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATnNT FFICE.

FRED R. TAISEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TAISEYPNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPO RATION OFINDIANA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR PNEUMATIC CARRIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 701,522, dated June 3,1 902.

Application filed October 17, 1901. Serial No. 78,964. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED R. TAISEY, of In dianapolis, county of Marion,and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and use- 5 fulAutomatic SwitchforPneumatic Carriers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer tolike parts.

This invention is an improvement on the switch apparatus shown inLetters Patent of the United States granted tome July3, 1900, No.653,044.

The object of the improvement herein is 15 to make the action of thetrigger mechanism positive and prevent the accidental rebounding of thepawl in the trigger mechanism, so the switch-tongue will be actuatedevery time the pawl is actuated.

The nature of this improvement will be understood from the accompanyingdrawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section ofa'portion of the z 5 despatch-tube, showing the trigger mechanism inside elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the side of the triggermechanism opposite to that shown in Fig. 1, showing the position of saidmechanism in dotted lines while a car- 30 rier-box is passing throughthe tube under the trigger mechanism and which does not actuate the pawlof said mechanism. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the despatch-tube,showing the trigger mechanism in front elevation, a

5 part being broken away. Fig. 4 shows the same as Fig. 2, with the pawlactuated and in dotted lines, the position of the trigger mechanism asthe carrier-box is passing through and the sWitch-tongueis beingactuated. Fig.

5 is a vertical section of what is shown in Fig. 4 on the line 5 5 ofFig. 3.

There is shown in the drawings a portion of a despatch-tube 1O withabranch tube 11 extending therefrom, that is closed by the 45switch-tongue 12. The switch-tongue is actuated by a connection with thetrigger mechanism, said connection not being here shown.

The trigger mechanism consists of a shaft 20, mounted transversely in anupward oxtension 32 from the despatch-tube. On the shaft there ismounted loosely a downwardly-extending forked trigger 24, so that thefingers of the fork extend on each side of the center of thedespatch-tube. Said trigger has in it a small pin 26, which carries thepawl 25, the lower. end of said pawl extending centrally between thefingers at the lower end of the trigger. The upper end of thepawl'engages the ratchet 27 rigidly on the shaft 20. Theupper end ofsaid pawl, however, is held out of engagement normally with said ratchetby the spring 28, said spring pressingagainst the pawl above its pivotalpoint. The spring is mounted on the plate 29, that connects the two armsor parts of the trigger 24 along the rear and upper part thereof, asappears in Fig. 4. The shaft 20 carries the crank 19, which is connectedby a link 18 to means for actuating the switch, which means is notherein shown. The trigger mechanism is brought to its. normal positionby the spring 31, the normal position being downward in the path of thecarrier-box 46, that may be passing through the tube, and such returnmovement of the trigger is limited bythe closing-of the switch-tongue.

The foregoing mechanism is old and is shown and more fully described inmy prior patent, heretofore referred to. The improvement therein, whichconstitutes my present invention, consists of a catch 35, which ispivotally mounted on the pin 36 to one side of the trigger 24. At oneend it has a tooth 37, adapted tocatoh on the pin 38 in the pawl 25, butonly when said pawl has been actuated, as in Fig. 4. The normal positionof said catch is that shown in Fig. 2, where it is out of engagementwith the pin 38 on the pawl 25, and is held in that position by thedownwardly-turned end 39 of the catch ongaging the lug 40 on the side ofthe'despatchtube. WVhen the pawl 25 is actuated into the position shownin Fig. 4, the spring 41 draws the catch into engagement with the pin onthe pawl, as appears in Fig. 4. Said spring 41 is attached at one end tothe catch and the other end to the trigger 24.

The operation is as follows: When a car-- rier-box goes through thedespatch-tnbe without any pin on the end of it or with a pin too shortto engage the pawl 25, the forward end of the box strikes the twofingers of the triggers 24, but does not engage the lower end of thepawl 25, as it is somewhat to the rear of the forward faces of thefingers of the trigger 24. This sort of box therefore does not actuatethe pawl 25 or the shaft or the switch-tongue, and the further progressof the box throws the whole trigger mechanism up into the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the box passes on out of theway,whereupon the spring 31 throws the trigger mechanism down into theposition shown in Fig. 2. When, however, a box with a central projectionor pin on it passes through the carrier-tube and the pin engages thelower end of the pawl before the end of the box comes into contact withthe fingers of the trigger 24, it throws the pawl 25 into the positionshown in Figs. at and 5-that is, with the upper end in engagement withthe ratchet 27. The further movement of the carrierbox pushes the wholetrigger mechanism up into position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4., andin such movement the pawl 25 rotates the ratchet 27 and shaft 20,whereby the switch-tongue is thrown. After the box passes from under thetrigger mechanism the spring 31 throws it back into its normal position,and in such backward movement the lower end 39 of the catch 35 engagesthe lug on the tube and elevates the projection 37 of the catch out ofengagement with the pin 38 on the pawl 25, as appears in Fig. 2.

Without this improvement the spring 28 tends to throw the upper end ofthe pawl 25 out of engagement with the ratchet immediately after thepawl is actuated, so that the switch-tongue would not always be thrown.With the pawl 35 this difficulty in operation is prevented, for as soonas the pawl is actuated the catch engages the pin 38 and holds the upperend of the pawl in the notch in the ratchet 27 and continues to hold itthere until the carrier-box has passed through, and the spring 31 bringsthe trigger mechanism back to its normal position, and the lower] end 39of the catch engages the lug 40, and thereby the catch is disengagedfrom the pawl.

The effect of this invention is to make the action of the switch-tongueabsolutely posi tive and certain.

-What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a switch-actuating mechanism for pneumatic carriers, thecombination with a shaft, a trigger loosely mounted thereon, a ratchetsecured on said shaft, and a pawl pivoted to the trigger for engagingthe ratchet when the pawl is actuated, of a catch for engaging the pawland holdingit in its actuated position. V I i 2. In a switch actuatingmechanism for pneumatic carriers, the combination with a shaft, atrigger loosely mounted thereon, a ratchet secured on saidshaft, a pawlpivoted to the trigger for engaging the ratchet when the pawl isactuated, and a spring for normally holding the pawl out of engagementwith the ratchet, of a catchfor engaging and holding the pawl after ithas been actuated so that it will keep in engagement with the ratchet.

3. In a switch-actuating mechanism for pneumatic carriers, thecombination with a shaft, a trigger loosely mounted thereon, a

ratchet secured on said shaft, a pawl pivoted to the trigger forengaging the ratchet when the pawl is actuated and a. spring fornormally holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet, of aspring-controlled catch for engaging and holding the pawl after it hasbeen actuated so that it will keep in engagement/with the ratchet, meansfor returning the trigger mechanism after it has been actuated, and astationary means for engaging the catch in its return movement todisengage it from the pawl.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.

FRED R. TAISEY.

lVitnesses:

FLORENCE E. BRYANT, V. H. LooKwooD.

